The Utah Jazz (17-20) travel to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks (25-11) on Monday, January 8th. This game will be played at Fiserv Forum. The Jazz are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Bucks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the 76ers. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Jazz vs Bucks

The Jazz Are Coming Off A Win

Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 33 points against the 76ers, the highest on the team. He finished with a field goal percentage of 57.5% in the game. The Jazz picked up a 120-109 win, and Collin Sexton also added 22 points which was 2nd on the team.

Coming into today’s game vs. the Bucks, the Jazz are 17-20 overall and are below .500. In the Western Conference, they are currently ranked 12th and are 4th in the Northwest division.

Utah arrives with an ATS record of 21-16 for the season up to this point. During this season, Utah has a 4-2 record against the spread as favorites and 17-14 as underdogs.

The Bucks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Bucks will look to bounce back from a defeat in their last game, losing to the Rockets with a final score of 112-108. Despite trailing at halftime by a score of 63-43, the Bucks picked up the win.

In their last five games, the Bucks are 2-3 and have an overall record of 25-11. When playing at home, the Bucks are 16-3 compared to 9-8 on the road this season.

Milwaukee currently has an ATS record below .500, sitting at 15-21 at this point. In their last three road games, Milwaukee has been unable to cover the spread, and they hold an ATS record of 8-9 on the road as opposed to 7-12 at home.

Jazz Offense Breakdown

Utah has recorded an average of 114.6 points per game (18th) throughout 37 games games. The Jazz come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 12.9 made 3’s per game. In addition to their strong outside shooting numbers, the team is playing at one of the fastest paces in the NBA, averaging 100 possessions per contest.

Bucks Offense Breakdown

Coming into today’s action, Milwaukee is averaging 124.3 points per contest. This figure places them 2nd in the league. In terms of pace, the Bucks are one of the top units in the NBA, averaging 102.1 possessions per game. Heading into the game, the Bucks will look to continue with their formula of playing fast and getting to the basket, as they are near the top of the league in two-point fields made per game.

Jazz Team Defense

As they prepare for the upcoming game, the Jazz is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 118.7 points per game (23rd). On two point field goal attempts, the Jazz’s defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 55.5% and allowing 37.0% from beyond the arc.

Bucks Team Defense

Looking at the Bucks defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 119.5 points per game (24th). Milwaukee’s defense is currently forcing 13 turnovers per game, which is 16th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 11th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.5 rejections per game.

Key Players For The Jazz And Bucks

In today’s game, we anticipate Lauri Markkanen leading the scoring for the Jazz, contributing 24 points while shooting 8/17 from the field. This season, he is averaging 23.6 points per game along with 8.4 boards.

As for Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo is projected to be the primary scorer for the Bucks. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 30, and adding 11 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 61% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 31.6 points per game.

Jazz vs Bucks Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Utah has been good against the spread posting a mark of 4-1. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 115 points per game.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Milwaukee has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 123 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Jazz have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Bucks have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.

 

Jazz vs Bucks Prediction

 

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Bucks to secure the win, with an expected final score of 118-108. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -9.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 245 and given that our model is projecting 226 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.